Dave's Garden Articles: By LariAnn Garner

While flowers and fruits are essential to the future survival of plant species, leaves are vital for the sustenance and growth of plants in the present. Even parasitic, leafless plants depend upon the leaves of their host for survival. Read More

Some plants "speak" louder than others, but the language is the same. Once you become familiar with plant morphology as it relates to fitness for particular environmental conditions, you are well on the way to providing what your plants need. Read More

Of all the Jewel Alocasias, this one has the award for the thickest leaf, as well as the most heavily textured leaf. If you didn't know this was a real plant, you'd have good reason to believe this plant was made from plastic. It is real, though, and you, too, can try growing it. That is, if you know how to care for Jewels. . . Read More

This jewel is actually two jewels, at least in my view, because the two types are different enough to enjoy separately or together in your collection. Which one you find depends upon where your nursery is obtaining their young plants. . . Read More

In my imaginings about Aroidia the idea of technological advancement had not occurred to me. After all, Aroidia was a place of all plants, and even though two intelligent races were present, neither of them displayed any indication of technological or scientific development. Or had I just missed what was so obvious that it was totally hidden until now? Read More

Each year at this time of year, we begin seeing Caladiums show up for Spring planting. Most of the varieties seem the same, or similar, from year to year. Does that mean that new varieties are pretty much a thing of the past? Well, even though Caladiums have been hybridized for over 100 years, you can still come up with some that are your own unique creations. Read on and I'll show you how . . . Read More

As leaf shapes among the Alocasia species go, this particular one is hard to beat. Although it is a challenging plant to grow, this Alocasia is well worth your effort if you have a warm greenhouse and can give your plant the attention it needs . . . Read More

Of all the smaller Jewels, Alocasia reginula 'Black Velvet' is one of the most familiar and recognizable. The dark, almost black leaves, adorned with brilliant silvery-white veins and velvety look make for an unmistakably beautiful sight. You just want to hug and baby this wonderful little plant, but in so doing you may kill her with kindness. Read on. . . Read More

On Earth, genera and species of vining aroids abound. Some of them ascend to the heights of canopy trees in the rainforest, while others creep up rockfaces with leaves closely appressed to the rock. On Aroidia, one of the few vining plants is the Chain Vine, a plant with some of the most unusual leaves of any on the planet. However, the "Butterfly Palm" gives the Chain Vine significant competition in the unusual leaf department. . . Read More

As important as recycling is to the sustainability of life on this planet, one form of recycling may be the least recognized, and yet the most critically important, of all. Here I'll share about what could very well be the fundamental and primary recycling activity we can engage in for our gardens and farms. . . Read More

On Aroidia, nearly every available niche is populated with some type of plant. Here I investigate those plants that float on the ocean and those that grow as hemiepiphytes on other, larger species. Read More

Of all the types of Philodendrons, this group is most diverse. Some of our most beloved and well known house plants are in this group, as well as some of the most exotic and difficult to grow members of the genus. Join me for a look at these attractive vines . . . Read More

The concept of the world's largest organism conjures up images of some immensely large animal or monstrously huge tree. Actually, the world's largest living organism could be missed entirely if you didn't know it was there. The great bulk of this organism is located underground; read on to learn more . . . Read More

In the realm of living organisms, motion is most often associated with the animal kingdom. The surprise is that plants move as well, and some move fast enough so that their motion is visible to a casual observer. Read on to learn more about how and why plants move around . . . Read More

A stroll through your garden will reveal flowers, fruits, stems, branches and leaves, but you'll have to do some digging to see the rest of your plant. Here I'll introduce you to the underground plant parts, including roots and a variety of underground storage organs that are used by plants and by us as food sources . . . Read More

Not all plants on Aroidia are strange or unfamiliar, as my imagination soon revealed to me. A number of plants were very reminiscent of real aroids on Earth. In fact, some of these plants are ones that may be the end results of my current hybrid research work. My journey of imagination continues with selected examples of these familiar, yet different, flora and the environments they thrive in. Read More

These are among the largest of the plants in the genus Philodendron, producing thick trunk-like stems and cord-like roots that can wrap around nearby trees or anchor to the ground like guy wires. Known also as "tree philodendrons", they are spectacular in the tropical landscape but can become unwieldy indoors . . . Read More

Natural soil is a veritable cornucopia of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other small organisms, all living together in a delicate balance. Any disruption of that balance can result in one or more of the microbes gaining an upper hand over the others. In some cases, the ones proliferating are pathogenic, or damaging to your plants. Now, imagine a soilless media, practically devoid of any microflora, becoming inoculated with a pathogen. Without competition, the surprise is that any plant growing in such a medium survives! Fortunately, the means to restore a population of beneficial microbes to your soilless medium is available. Read on . . . Read More